Minnesota Institute of Public Health

Development of the Community Readiness Survey began in the late 1990s. Originally, the survey was about 100 items in length, focused on ATOD, and validated with 15,000 residents in 30 Minnesota communities. This validation process is described in a manuscript entitled "The Community Readiness Survey: Development and Initial Validation" published in the February 2001 issue of Evaluation Review. Since that publication, survey development has continued.

In 2001, prevention professionals from ten states were asked to rate data from 50 communities using the ATOD items. Using a technique called Q-sort, they determined which communities were low and high on five domains or scales of readiness on the ATOD items. Using their ratings, we were able to empirically establish low and high levels of readiness to serve as benchmarks for future communities conducting the survey. This process is described in a manuscript entitled "Community Readiness Survey: Norm Development Using a Q-sort Process" (published in Volume 16, Number 1 of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse).

In 2005, the survey was expanded to include gambling. Survey items were reviewed by experts in problem gambling prevention. The survey was also tested in three focus groups: (1) young adults aged 18-30, (2) adults aged 31-55, and (3) seniors aged 56 and older. The survey was then field tested in three communities with varying levels of gambling activity.  The results was a validated ATOD-G Community Readiness Survey.

In 2008, professionals were again consulted to determine levels of high and low readiness based on 45 communities use of the ATOD-G Survey instrument.